First time! The king officially apologizes for colonization | The Netherlands | The king
According to foreign media reports, on July 1st local time, King William Alexander of the Netherlands officially apologized for his colonial history and involvement in the slave trade, as well as the impact it has caused to this day, and called it a "crime against humanity".
According to CNN, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands attended a ceremony to commemorate the 160 anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands and made the above statement.
He stated that racism was still a problem in Dutch society. however, "the shackles have really been broken."
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands pointed out that although his remarks do not represent the entire country, most Dutch people support the fight for equality for all regardless of color or cultural background. He mentioned that after acknowledging the past and apologizing, everyone can work together to move towards reconciliation and restore trust.
![First time! The king officially apologizes for colonization | The Netherlands | The king](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/9a8cc15905a1eb4dac9f71abc7028135.jpg)
In 2022, Prime Minister Rutte formally apologized on behalf of the Dutch government for the country's role in the history of the slave trade. "People have been turned into commodities. Human dignity has been trampled on in a terrible way," said Rutte ". He later said he was "apologizing" in several languages ".
The Netherlands became a major colonial power in the 17th century. Recently, a study commissioned by the Dutch government found that between 1675 and 1770, the Dutch royal family made profits equivalent to about $0.6 billion today from the colonies, most of which came from the spice trade profits of the Dutch East India Company.
In December 2022, the Dutch royal family launched an independent inquiry into its own role in colonial history, with the results expected to be announced in 2025.